


Fallin' Flower - A Seventeen Series

by SkyPhoenix13125



Category: K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Flowers, Language of Flowers, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26313550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyPhoenix13125/pseuds/SkyPhoenix13125
Summary: A collection of one-shots inspired by Seventeen's Fallin' Flower music video, and 13 different flowers.Flowers referenced (not in this order but their meanings are at the beginning of their respective chapters):AsterBegoniaCamelliaChrysanthemumColumbineCrocusGardeniaGladiolusHeatherHydrangeaLarkspurPansyPeonyThis was originally published on Wattpad. It is my original work.
Relationships: Boo Seungkwan/Reader, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Reader, Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Reader, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Reader, Jeon Wonwoo/Reader, Kim Mingyu/Reader, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Reader, Lee Chan | Dino/Reader, Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Reader, Lee Seokmin | DK/Reader, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Reader, Xu Ming Hao | The8/Reader, Yoon Jeonghan/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	1. Bashful Blooms - S. Coups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peonies are a bit of a mixed signal flower, as they are considered to be beautiful and welcomed in some cultures but unlucky in others. They may symbolize honor, beauty, romantic love especially between strangers, and bashfulness. Pink peonies, in particular, are considered romantic, and pale pink peonies symbolize bashfulness or being ashamed.
> 
> Blooming flowers soulmate AU

Seungcheol hesitated for a moment as he got dressed, his fingers pausing on the middle button.

He could just see the pale buds of his flower tattoo peeking out like this. He wondered what they were. What they'd look like when they bloomed. He hoped his soulmate would like them. They looked like they'd be pale when they finally emerged.

A furious knocking startled him out of his thoughts, DK complaining that he really had to pee. Seungcheol quickly finished buttoning his shirt and opened the door for him.

"Sorry," he muttered as he brushed past the younger member.

"Staring at yourself again?" Jeonghan asked with a teasing smirk. Seungcheol flushed immediately and his friend chuckled.

"Hey, if I had flowers on my chest I'd admire them too. But the universe decided I was pretty enough already."

"That's why you have a tattoo on the back of your neck," Mingyu commented. "So the rest of us can have a chance in the bathroom."

The others chuckled. Jeonghan threw a pillow at him in response.

Seungcheol considered himself lucky in some ways. The others' soulmate tattoos had to be covered up every day because fans might see them. He sat down in his makeup chair and glanced over to see Jun getting his compass covered up with concealer after they popped open his cuff sleeves. Jun's was the riskiest since it moved on its own, but he never held his wrist up long enough for it to be noticed.

As long as his own stylists kept his shirt collars high enough, Seungcheol had nothing to worry about. Sometimes he did feel jealous he couldn't wear low cut tops, but they made up for it by giving him wide necks and layered styles instead.

A stylist came over and started working on him. He watched as they tousled his hair to give it more volume.

Mingyu suddenly grunted and all heads turned to see him struggling with a shirt. "I don't think this is the right size," he said. And indeed, the arms and shoulders looked too snug on him to be comfortable.

The stylist who'd given it to him bowed apologetically and he was quick to reassure her that it was an honest mistake. She quickly went back to the rack and found him another shirt to wear instead.

The head stylist quickly realized the problem. They had only brought these outfits for the fan meeting today. They didn't have time to go out and find something else. If they didn't make the switch work, they could be in trouble. They did a scan of the other outfits and the members present to see who could wear Mingyu's old shirt with their frame.

Seungcheol accidentally met the head stylist's gaze and she walked over. "Can you try this on?"

The leader sighed, pulling off his button-up to put this over his head. The moment the material draped over his frame he felt something was wrong.

He turned to look at himself in the mirror and saw exactly what he'd feared. The new shirt was draped open well into the middle of his chest where his frozen blooms were on full display. The stylist immediately realized the problem and clasped it together at the top.

"As long as you keep this fake button clasped, no one can tell," she assured him. He turned around again and realized she was right. The material was thin and it clung to his frame, but his blooms couldn't be seen through the shirt and they were covered up by the clasp. If he'd had a darker colored flower instead, this might be an issue.

The fan meet started without any more incidents. The other members were dressed and ready to go. S. Coups fiddled with the clasp of his shirt as they sat down amidst the cheers and screams.

Joshua glanced over at him. "There aren't any cameras, no one will notice," he explained softly.

And it was true, there was no flash photography allowed at this meeting so there was no way anyone could notice the coloring underneath his shirt unless they were really looking at him. And even then, they'd probably think he just layered it.

With that thought in mind, he felt his heart calm a bit. He quickly removed his hand and sat up straight. The fans should distract him.

And distract him they did. Between meeting them, signing their albums, and listening to them tell him how much they adored him, it was hard to think of anything else. He waved good-bye to another fan and glanced up as someone else stepped in front of him.

"Hi, thank you for coming," he said. He quickly scribbled his signature on the album he'd been handed. He felt warm for some reason and it was getting a little hard to focus. He must be out of practice.

He turned his attention back to you, making small talk and slowly reaching out his hand to engage in a hi-touch. But the moment your fingers touched, it felt like his chest exploded. He gasped in surprise, trying to clear his head and re-focus. He felt something crawling up his chest and he gritted his teeth.

_This can't be happening now._

You stared at him in horror as you realized what was happening. You could feel it yourself, but if anyone realized what was going on, this would be a news story in hours. You glanced at Joshua but he was tied up with his own fan and didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

In fact, no one around you seemed to notice the situation yet and you were grateful.

S. Coups felt you let go of his hand and he glanced up in confusion. Before he could register what was happening, you had pulled off the jacket you were wearing and tied the sleeves around your waist.

The fan next to you noticed the movement and squealed in delight when she saw the pink flowers blooming from underneath your shirt.

"Your flowers are so pretty!"

Immediately, you became the center of attention as the fans nearby realized you had a soulmate mark on full display.

"Thank you," you replied, turning so she could admire them. S. Coups quickly leaned over to Joshua as he realized what you were doing.

"Give me your jacket," he hissed. Joshua glanced down in surprise to see pink petals peeking out of the top of his friend's shirt. He quickly obeyed and the leader was grateful it zipped up far enough to hide the blooms.

Security quickly got involved in commotion. They urged everyone to move along and eyed you suspiciously for making a scene. They checked on S. Coups to make sure that everything was okay and he was quick to assure them it was.

You moved on to Joshua without another word.

He signed your album and smiled easily. "Peonies, right?" he asked, referring to your flowers. "Your soulmate's lucky, I hear they're a sign of strong love."

"Thank you."

By the time you'd reached the end of the line, the other members seemed to have figured out what happened themselves. If they hadn't, the security pulling you backstage after the fan meeting surely tipped them off.

Seungcheol was waiting in the dressing room. He'd asked the others to leave to give you both some privacy. He didn't want you to feel pressured about anything, and their presence probably wouldn't help.

You entered the room quietly, deciding he should speak first.

"Thank you for what you did earlier," he said.

"I figured it would be a mess if your fans realized."

"Could I...see them?"

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

He undid the clasp on his shirt and you fiddled with the bottom of your shirt before pulling it up around your neck.

You both stared at each other. The stems were a pale green, running up to split into multiple pink flowers with numerous, full petals on each one. You both notice his are a paler shade but they're obviously a perfect match.

"Pink looks good on you," you said after a moment.

"On me?" he repeated. "Yours are beautiful, and you won't have to hide them."

"I don't have to from you."

His cheeks flushed red at that. "I never got your name earlier."

"(Y/N)," you said as you put your shirt down again. "Nice to meet you."

He hesitantly took your outstretched hand. "Could I take you out sometime? If you're okay with that, that is."

You smiled. "Of course. We'll just have to be careful."

"The fans won't see--"

He was interrupted as the door suddenly swung open. Jun stood there awkwardly and Seungcheol was quick to shield you from his gaze.

"I was looking for makeup wipes," Jun blurted out. The leader quickly tossed him the package on the table close by and he scurried off.

"Why were you hiding me?"

He realized you'd put your shirt back on earlier. "It was an instinct, I guess."

You smiled as his cheeks started burning. Pale pink was definitely his color.


	2. Flower Maze - Jeonghan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Camellia flowers grow on shrubs that can range from five to fifteen feet in height if cared for properly, and some even stretch higher than that. In Korea, they're a popular flower to have in wedding ceremonies because one of their meanings is faithfulness. Other meanings may include passion and desire, refinement, perfection/excellence, and longevity.

"Jeonghan, slow down!" you called for the third time in ten minutes. He chuckled, pausing at the next little garden to wait for you.

It had been his idea to go to a flower garden as a date. You hadn't realized that it would be your exercise for the week, desperately trying to match his pace as he raced between different flowerbeds. But he was loving every second of it so that made it worth it as far as you were concerned.

You caught up to him and thankfully saw a bench nearby, so you sat down.

"(Y/N), come on, we haven't even seen everything," he complained, tugging on your arm to try and get you to stand up. You snickered at his antics, trying to ignore the way he reminded you of a small child when he did this.

"It's not a race," you replied. "We've only been here half an hour."

"But I want to see everything."

"And we will, just give me a minute to rest. Not all of us perform for a living."

He sighed and sat down beside you with a pout already forming on his lips. You ran your fingers through his hair to try and appease him a bit.

It was a perfect day to be out here among the flowers. The sky was beautiful, with just a bit of a breeze. The garden was huge, you'd probably only seen a tenth of what there was to see around here. And that was just because Jeonghan was rushing through it without a care in the world.

It was nice to be able to go out and do things like this with him. He didn't often get days off. And it had been a spur of the moment idea, which made it that much better.

"All right," you sighed as you got to your feet. "Ready to start again?"

He blinked open his eyes. "Okay."

You started off again, except this time he intertwined your fingers and swung your arms between you. "Wouldn't want you to get lost," he said.

"Says the one who won't sit still," you shot back with a grin.

He nudged you with his shoulder and picked up the pace a little in retaliation.

There was so much to see in this garden. Beautiful flowers, obviously, some of which you'd never seen before. But there were numerous topiaries made into various different shapes. Floral archways and a few grapevines that lined some of the walkways. Benches and fountains where you could sit and rest. Insects buzzing around as well to add pleasant background noise. You even swore you saw a hummingbird but Jeonghan ran off ahead of you again and didn't get to see it.

You knew you'd hold that over his head later when you found him.

After aimlessly searching for a few minutes, you wondered if he'd gotten himself lost. But just as you had that thought, you heard his voice cursing and grumbling. You glanced around and didn't see anything.

But when you glanced down, you saw him struggling his way out a rose bush.

"Yoon Jeonghan, what are you doing?!" you hissed.

He quickly scrambled out of the bush and shook his hair, trying to rid it of leaves. "I fell," he muttered. "There was a spider on me and I was trying to get it off."

"Are you hurt?" you asked as you brushed a leaf from his shoulder.

"I think one of them scratched me. I forgot roses had thorns."

He twisted around slowly, inspecting his arms and legs for any sign of pricks from the rosebush. There was a small scratch on his shoulder but you assured him that it wasn't prominent enough to be noticed. And his face was fine and the spider was long gone by now.

"Come on," you said, holding out your hand. "Let's walk some more. I'll keep you away from the mean roses."

"They're supposed to be romantic flowers, aren't they?" he grumbled as you started walking together again. "So why do they have thorns? It just makes them dangerous."

You hummed thoughtfully. "Probably so you won't pick them left and right. But they aren't the only romantic flowers out there."

"Have you seen any that you like today?" he asked.

"Those tall sunflowers were definitely the highlight to me so far."

"I didn't know they'd grow so tall."

You'd learned today that the bright yellow flowers were supposed to bloom facing the direction of the sun. Some species of them could even grow up to ten feet tall, so you'd been at a loss for words when you saw them. Jeonghan had sent a picture to Hoshi since he was a fan of them too.

You weren't sure if it was the incident with the spider and the rose bush or if he'd finally lost his excess energy, but he stayed by your side while you walked around the rest of the garden.

When you got to flowers that you weren't familiar with, he'd make up a story about how they got their names or what their meanings were. He loved to see if he could trick you like he could some of his members. You'd been dating for a while at this point so you took everything he said with a grain of salt, but it didn't stop him from trying anyway.

"You know that if you hold a buttercup up to your chin, you can tell how buttery-soft your skin is."

"That's not the myth, Jeonghan. You're supposed to be able to tell how much a person likes butter."

"Josh's skin was very bright, that's all I'm saying."

"Because he likes butter!"

"No way! It's because his skin is so soft."

You were nearing the end of the garden when you finally saw what you were looking for. Jeonghan glanced up when you suddenly pulled him in a new direction. He frowned at the sight of the flowers.

They looked familiar. They were very pretty, numerous petals covering each flower. And judging from the number of similar flowers nearby, they had a large family of different species.

"What are they?" he asked.

You smiled. "They're camellias."

"Oh, now I remember. My sister told me she wants some at her wedding one day."

"Really? I heard they're popular wedding flowers. Does she just like them?"

"I'm not sure. They're pretty, though."

You found the informational plaque and nodded. "Here it is: 'Camellias are known to symbolize ideals such as passion, desire, excellence, and longevity. They're also a popular wedding flower because they can symbolize faithfulness.' Sounds like a Yoon family flower to me."

Jeonghan couldn't stop the smile forming on his face. "You think so?"

"Of course."

"Then we should take a picture with them."

"Wait, let's take one with the red flowers," you suggested, pointing to a clump of flowers in that color. They were big and vibrant, reminding him of apples.

He gently pulled you in front of the bush, holding up his phone and taking a couple of pictures of you both with them as a backdrop. For the last one he took, he swooped down and pecked your cheek at the last second.

"That's a good one," he commented as he swiped through the photos. You chuckled, watching him turn back to the flowers. "And no thorns," he said mostly to himself.

"What? Are you getting on board with your sister's idea now?"

He shrugged. "I'm just saying, they're easier to pick than roses and just as pretty. And we Yoons are passionate and excellent at everything, it's only natural that we'd like a flower that matches those ideals."

"Are you saying that because you mean it or because you're still mad a rose pricked you?"

"Can't it be both?"

You laughed, grasping his hand in yours again. "Of course it can."

That night, Jeonghan was on the phone talking to his sister and telling her all about the flower garden and how he had seen the camellias she liked.

"I'm telling you, they're like our family flower. You have to have them at your wedding," he said. "Even better, you should put some in your hair! You'll look so pretty."

You heard her laughter on the other side of the phone.

You were sure that she would text you later and ask what on earth had happened to her brother today. But you weren't sure what she expected you to say, he was just embodying the flower itself; showing his passion for new ideas was not out of the ordinary for him.

It was endearing.

At least that's what you told yourself when he started whining later about his shoulder hurting again. You lied down with him and ran your fingers through his hair. You hoped he'd never see another rose bush for as long as he lived or you would never hear the end of it.


	3. Budding Romance - Joshua

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asters are a kind of flower within the daisy family. Much like their lookalike counterpart, they are known to symbolize things such as patience, wisdom, charm, daintiness, innocence, and purity. It's said that they can symbolize afterthoughts as well, or a desire that things happened differently

You started in surprise when you heard a knock on your door. You weren't expecting anyone. Still, you made your way over and hesitantly opened the door.

"Delivery for (L/N)?" the delivery man asked.

You glanced at the beautifully wrapped bouquet in his hands. Those were for you?

The delivery man cleared his throat and you quickly accepted the flowers from him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't...does it say who sent these?" you asked, quickly changing topics.

He checked through his notes and shook his head. "No, doesn't have a name or anything. Must have wanted to stay a secret."

You chuckled awkwardly at the joke before thanking him and going back inside. Who would send you flowers out of the blue like this? It wasn't your birthday or a holiday. You weren't celebrating any major milestones in your life right now. There was really no reason for them, but you couldn't exactly send them back.

So you found a vase to set them up in. You glanced at the card almost obscured by the leaves and quickly plucked it out, hoping to find some kind of information.

Instead, all you received was a note in messy scrawl stating that these were from "your secret admirer".

That was not something you heard about much nowadays. But the gesture was nice, and they were obviously for you. You would be lying if you said you didn't feel a little suspicious of them but you knew a bit about flowers and you recognized a few of the ones in there as some kind of daisy. Daisies were considered innocent flowers, and knowing that put you a bit more at ease.

But even so...who sent them?

***********************

Jun was working the counter when you walked in, setting a daisy in front of him.

He glanced at it and then back up at you. "And how can I help you today?"

"Did someone buy daisies from you recently?"

"You know I can't give out customer information like that."

"Well they sent them to me, so I'd like some information." He gave you a blank stare. "Jun, come on. A big white, yellow, and purple bouquet? The customer asked you to keep their name off it?"

He shook his head. "I don't know anything about that. I'll ask Josh--"

"No!" you hissed. "Don't involve him."

"Why not? You don't want him to get jealous of this secret admirer of yours?"

"Look, can you tell me something helpful or not?"

"Well," he sighed, picking up the flower between his fingers, "This isn't a daisy, it's actually called an aster. They're from the same family, but they look a little different."

"Does that mean something?"

"Maybe. But I guess you'd have to ask the person who sent them to know for sure."

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. "I swear, the one time I really need your help. Just forget about it. And don't tell Joshua about this, either."

"I won't!" he called as you left the store, the bell above the door jingling as you went.

Jun waited exactly two minutes before going to tell Joshua.

"And?"

"Doesn't suspect a thing," he reported.

Joshua grinned. "Thanks. I really owe you one for helping with this."

"We're even, don't worry about it. You're already taking my shifts next week so I can go to the art museum with Minghao. But (Y/N) is my friend, so you'd better be a perfect gentleman."

"I will."

Joshua had liked you for months. You had started coming into the shop because a family member who lived far away was ill and you needed to get some flowers delivered to them. Jun was an old friend so you figured it was an opportunity to see him as well.

He helped you gather some flowers together and arranged them into a bouquet for you. When he was done, he'd passed you off to Joshua so that he could ring you up while he helped another customer.

After he'd rung up your purchase, Joshua had cleared his throat.

"Can I get you one more thing?" he'd asked.

You nodded and he carefully cut a daisy and handed it over to you. "Daisies make people smile. You look like you need one," was all he'd said.

The small action did the trick and you smiled at him as you accepted it with your bouquet. When you tried to pay for it, he'd steadfastly refused.

Jun relentlessly teased both of you about it at the time, but due to a few different misunderstandings, neither one of you made your feelings known to the other. You continued to come into the shop every now and then to buy a couple of random flowers and visit with them, but that was pretty much it.

A few weeks ago, Joshua had finally decided he should take matters into his own hands. He'd brought Jun in on it in case you tried to get answers, and that had proved to be a smart idea.

But there was one more step to go.

You sighed as you heard someone knock on your door. That had better not be another bouquet. The other one wasn't even a day old yet.

Instead, an envelope was left on your doorstep. You glanced around to see if anyone was hanging around, but there was no one. You opened the envelope and read the contents.

_"If you liked the flowers, meet me at the park at 5:30 tonight. I'll bring you the missing center."_

You glanced over at the bouquet you'd received yesterday. There were a dozen flowers in the arrangement, but there was a space for another flower in the very center. You'd been wondering if that was done or purpose or not, but apparently it was.

It took you a while to figure out if you wanted to go. And the biggest reason was because of the flowers. You'd been secretly hoping Joshua was the one behind all this. But if he was going to send you any flowers, you thought they'd be daisies. Plus, Jun should know something about it.

Still, they went to all the trouble to send you the bouquet so you figured you should at least go to meet them. If you didn't, you might never know.

So you made your way to the nearby park early. You looked around to see if you could catch a glimpse of this secret admirer.

"(Y/N)!"

You turned at the sound of someone calling for you, surprised to see Joshua sitting on a bench nearby.

"Joshua," you greeted him as you approached. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for someone. What about you?"

"The same thing."

"I'm guessing you liked the flowers then?"

Before you could respond, he'd pulled a single white flower from the other side of the bench. He stood up and handed it to you.

"It was you?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you disappointed?"

"Relieved, actually."

"I'm glad," he said as he offered you his arm. "Want to walk with me?"

You smiled and accepted, walking arm in arm with him around the park. Joshua was beyond ecstatic that his plan had worked, but you were quiet. He glanced at you to see you were lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Was Jun in on it?"

"Of course. But don't be too hard on him, I begged him to help so I wouldn't get caught too early."

"But...you didn't hide your tracks at all."

Joshua chuckled, glancing at the flower in your hand. "Jun told me you thought they were daisies. Do you know why I picked asters instead?" You shook your head.

"Daisies are supposed to represent secret love. That the sender can keep their feelings a secret," he explained. "Asters symbolize wishing things were done differently. I wish I'd had the courage to tell you my feelings sooner. But I don't want them to be a secret anymore."

"You had this whole thing planned just based on that?"

He nodded. "Was it too much?"

"No, no. It's just that you don't hear much about secret admirers anymore. It feels old-fashioned."

"Well, I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy. Besides, I'm not your secret admirer anymore. So the flowers worked."

You nearly scoffed at the smug look on his face. "Don't make me change my mind, Joshua."

"You wouldn't dare! After I planned a nice date for us?"

"Nice date?" you repeated.

"Of course. I made a reservation at a restaurant on the other side of the park," he said, pointing out a building in the distance. "And then we can get ice cream and look at the river under the stars. It's beautiful at night."

"You really are old-fashioned."

He grinned. "But you like me anyway."

"I do," you agreed.

And while Joshua was covering Jun's shifts over the next few weeks, you made sure to come in and keep him company. Every time he patted himself on the back for finally getting up the courage to reveal his feelings to you. It had certainly taken long enough, but it was well worth the wait in his opinion.


	4. Plant Power - Jun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heather is well-known for its medicinal properties. Its aroma is believed to lull people to sleep, and it's also used as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory ingredient in medicines. The plant itself symbolizes independence and good fortune, and the popular purple coloring stands for beauty or being worthy of admiration

It had been a long week.

Long month.

Okay, a long few months. Between one comeback, tour dates, footage for fans, and another comeback, it was no wonder that the group was exhausted. They'd barely had a moment's rest since announcing their first comeback.

And Jun wasn't complaining. He liked to be busy. But being busy constantly left little time to make sure you were taking care of yourself, and that was something he didn't like. And while Jun constantly had the well-meaning nagging of fifteen people surrounding him (because when Seungkwan gets started on vitamins or supplements, he has the enthusiasm and laser focus of two additional people) to make sure that he did take care of himself, not everyone else was that lucky.

You were one of those people. Jun was fairly certain that aside from a non-regular call from your parents, no one really checked in on your health. And you were just as stressed out as he'd been for the past several months, although for different reasons.

Between work, continuous changes to your plans and schedules, not having the opportunity to get out and see many of your friends, you were on a level of mental strain that came with being a solo artist. But with less fun.

So Jun decided that he should treat you to a nice, relaxing evening that would boost your spirits and your mood.

And all he'd need was a key.

You were beyond drained by the time you got back from work. You almost went straight to sleep but some nagging voice way in the back of your brain reminded you that you should probably eat.

So you made something in the microwave.

And you were just sitting down to eat it when your phone rang. You groaned.

"What?" you answered, putting the phone on speaker so it wouldn't interrupt your meal.

"That's no way to greet your favorite person."

"Jun, please tell me you have a reason for calling me."

"I do. I need the spare key to your apartment."

You paused in your chewing. "And why do you need that?"

"I want to pull a prank--"

"In _my_ apartment?"

"No, but I need to store some supplies somewhere the others won't find them."

"Supplies like what?"

"I have a few different ideas."

"And you're going to pull it on who, exactly?"

"Haven't decided yet."

You sighed. "Let me get this straight. You have a half-assed prank idea and you don't know who your victim is yet, but you want to use my apartment as your storage closet? No way."

"Come on--"

"Either give me more information or find another storage space."

There was a beat of silence. "...Seungkwan," he mumbled. "Happy?"

Seungkwan was a favorite victim of Jun's pranks. Mostly because of his dramatic reactions and vows to get back at the older member that never amounted to anything.

Jun never had any ill intentions with his pranks. They were just a way for him to pass the time. And with the recent schedule they'd had, maybe he had a right to blow off some steam.

"Fine, but you should come over while I'm at work. The less I know about this, the better."

"That was my plan all along. Thanks, (Y/N)! I owe you one."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll give you the key later this week, okay?"

"Sounds good."

There was a brief moment when you got off the phone when you thought that maybe you'd regret letting Jun involve you in this.

But that thought was quickly overtaken by the desire to sleep. So you cleaned up from your meal and went to bed.

As promised, you gave Jun your spare key with specific instructions not to lose it or let anyone else borrow it. He assured you that he wouldn't and that he'd leave it under your mat when he was done.

Except that wasn't how it went.

A few days after giving him your key, you received a phone call from Jun. You ignored it, figuring he was just going to tell you that he'd finished whatever he was doing and put your key away. He could leave a voicemail for that.

Instead, you received three more phone calls from him in the span of five minutes. Your phone would not stop lighting up and you were forced to answer so you could try to concentrate.

"Jun! I'm still at work, stop calling--"

"(Y/N)! I don't know what happened, I went to use your bathroom and your toilet sprung a leak or something. It's overflowing, I don't know what to do!"

You cursed under your breath. "I'm on my way. Do not move, do you understand? I'll call maintenance when I get there."

No wonder the poor guy had been blowing up your phone. Your apartment building was strict on their guest policies. If they found out Jun had been in your apartment while you weren't there, you'd probably get in trouble. But he couldn't wait the extra hour for you to finish work. Your bathroom could be underwater by then.

So with as much calm as you could muster, you explained to your boss that you had an emergency and you needed to head home right away. He assured you that it was no problem and let you go without an argument.

You burst through the door and raced toward your bathroom. You could hear the water flowing in there and it sounded like a lot. There was no telling how much this was going to cost you to fix. But you'd have to see it first.

Jun grinned at you as you came through the door. "Hey, just in time." He turned the faucet off.

It took you several seconds to process what was happening.

Your bathroom was not flooded or wet in any way. Your toilet was sitting on the other side of the bathroom as quiet as ever.

Meanwhile, Jun was sitting on the edge of your nearly full bathtub, happy as could be.

"There's no prank on Seungkwan, is there?"

"Nope."

"You lied so you could sneak into my apartment, scare me half to death, and then surprise me by...drawing me a bath?"

"You've been really stressed out lately, so I wanted you to have a relaxing afternoon. No work, hot bath, and your favorite takeout."

You seriously considered shoving him into the bath himself. "Wen Junhui, why can't you ever tell me when you want to do something nice?"

"Because then you'll expect it," he replied with a cheesy grin. "I think it's better to surprise you."

"I hope you're surprised when you finally put me in the hospital," you grumbled. "Just get out and let me take your weird surprise bath."

"All right! I'll go order takeout."

You spent a few minutes just standing in the bathroom, waiting to make sure there were no other surprises. That he wouldn't burst back in wearing a clown suit or something just for shits and giggles.

Once you were positive you were safe, you took off your clothes and settled in the bath. It was relaxing until something brushed past your leg.

"Jun!" you called.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you put plants in my bath?"

"I read somewhere that people put roses in their baths to help them relax. I thought heather would work the same way since it's used for medicine."

"...That's not how that works!"

Jun was both intrigued and apologetic when you explained the difference to him later. Infusing rose petals with water makes the bath smell nice and it's good for your skin. On the other hand, just sticking heather into the water didn't accomplish anything.

He stood up from the couch. "Well, I'll go find some roses--"

"It's fine," you assured him. "It was a nice thought and roses are overrated. I'd rather have a surprise heather bath any day." He sat back down beside you.

"So are you feeling better?"

"I feel like I could go to sleep."

He threw an arm around your shoulder. "Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, but I'll take it."

"I appreciate you tricking your way into my apartment and making me leave work to do something nice for me." You pecked his cheek. "Don't do it again."

"Then promise me you'll take better care of yourself?"

"I will. Right after I eat my weight in takeout."

He grinned. "Hey, good meals with good company are part of self-care, you know."

"Noted. When I surprise you with a self-care day, I'll just get you food. That seems a lot easier."

"Sounds like a good time to me."

He might have scared you half to death but it was obvious his heart was in the right place. He just wanted to know how much he cared. In his own Jun way.


	5. Flower Delivery - Hoshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Larkspur plants can grow from one to four feet in height. Every bloom is said to have an elongated petal similar to a spur, which is thought to be where the name comes from. Larkspur can mean a lot of things, but most of its meanings revolve around a happy nature and a pure heart, especially the white ones. Other meanings include a sweet disposition and a love for laughter and kindness.

You woke up slowly, grumbling at the light from your window. You rolled over and fumbled for your phone to check the time. You were surprised to see a text message from the night before waiting for you on it.

It was from Hoshi, even though you'd video-called with him two nights before.

"Good morning! I just want to say I love you and I hope you have a good day. Sorry that I can't be there right now but I'll make it up to you later. That's a Hoshi promise!"

You smiled at the message before sighing heavily. It had come in at a ridiculous hour the night before, so he must have been up thinking about you. Today would have been your anniversary with him. Normally you'd be celebrating together somehow.

But he was currently on tour, meaning that not only wouldn't he be here, but it was really hard to get a hold of him when you both had free time to talk. You didn't hold it against him personally but it was frustrating. Wanting nothing more than to have him here with you as you'd originally planned.

You tried not to let it get you down. There was nothing you could do at this point, and if you knew Hoshi he'd be sure to make it up to you like he'd said in his message. You'd just have to be patient for a couple more months until you got to see him again in person. And until then, there was always video calling to tide you over.

After sending him a quick reply text, you got up and started getting ready for the day. It was bound to be a long one.

Even knowing that it would be a long day, you were still amazed at the amount of work that had piled up between yesterday and today. You sat down and started working immediately, beginning with the phone messages. Followed by the email in your inbox. Followed by the regular mail as the receptionist started circulating the mail around. Nothing out of the ordinary.

By the time you clocked out for lunch, you were ready to leave for the day. You'd done enough.

You knew you should have just taken this day off like you'd originally planned to months ago. But once Hoshi had told you they'd be on tour, you didn't want to spend all day sitting around doing nothing. So you'd taken your day off back and decided to go into work today.

That was a terrible decision. You spent your lunch break checking up on where they were supposed to be heading for their next show, which was in a couple of days. The members had all been posting tourist pics on their social media account and you were comforted slightly by the thought that they were having fun exploring the area.

Hoshi hadn't responded to your text from this morning but you assumed he was busy. Especially since his text message had come in so late last night. Poor guy was probably fast asleep somewhere en route to his destination.

When you came back from lunch, the receptionist waved you over quickly. You thought for a moment that she was going to tell you the large bouquet sitting next to her was for you. But instead, you just gave you another message that had come through while you'd been gone.

You sighed and went back to work. You ended up accomplishing a lot in the day (even though there would still be plenty left for Monday morning). You took your stuff and clocked out so that you could get home and try to relax for the rest of your day. Maybe you could try to video call Hoshi again today. It would be nice to at least see him even if it wasn't in person.

A few hours later, you were getting ready to go to bed disappointed. You'd expected something more from him today. A phone call, a flower or card delivery. Heck, you would have even been happy to get one more message other than the one from this morning. That one little message wasn't doing much to convince you that he was thinking about you when he was still on radio silent. He obviously hadn't forgotten but that was doing little to soothe your feelings at this point.

You had tried getting in touch with Hoshi when you'd gotten home but he wouldn't answer his messages. It was apparently a long day for all of them. So you'd made something to eat, watched a bit of TV and waited to see if you'd eventually get a response.

One never came.

So you turned off your lights and were getting ready for bed when there was a knock on the door. You paused, waiting to see if the knock had been on your own door or if it was for one of your neighbors.

But it came again, definitely on your door this time. "Delivery!" someone called from the other side.

You opened the door to see a man standing there with a large bouquet of larkspur flowers. You loved larkspur flowers. They reminded you of Hoshi and his upbeat attitude.

You admired the beautiful arrangement as you took them from him. "Thank you, I'm sorry you had to come out so late." It was probably well past his normal delivery hours. There wasn't a card on them but you were sure they were from Hoshi. No one else knew you cared about this flower or had a reason to send them. Maybe you'd been too harsh on him by thinking he'd forgotten.

"No trouble at all. But I wish I would have gotten here sooner."

Wait a second.

You knew that voice.

You nearly dropped the flowers when you looked up at the man's face. "Hoshi? What are you doing here?"

"Surprise!" he grinned, stepping into your place. He pulled his luggage from around the corner where he'd hidden it from your sight.

"I got permission to take a break for a couple of days. I was going to try to get back last night, but I had to change my flight at the last minute. But here I am--"

He stopped when you grabbed him in a tight hug. "I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"How could you think that?" he asked, gently hugging you back. "I promised I'd make it up to you, didn't I?"

"But, when did you--? I saw pictures you posted today."

He shook his head. "Dino and I took those yesterday. I just asked him to wait until today to post them so you wouldn't know I was coming."

You'd definitely underestimated the man in front of you if he'd fooled you like that. You chuckled at the realization before remembering something else.

"Oh, I have something for you." You pulled away, going to grab his present that you'd hidden away. Hoshi sat down on the couch to wait for you to return. "Happy anniversary."

He unwrapped the present to find a new speaker in there. A small one for his personal use. "It's perfect! My other one was just starting to wear out. Thank you." He cleared his throat. "And you like the flowers, right?"

"Of course. They remind me of you."

"Between the tour announcement and everything else, I didn't have time to get you anything else. I was going to have them delivered but when I decided to come to see you, I figured I could do it myself."

"Just having you here is fine, Hoshi," you assured him.

"All right." You smiled at each other. "I'll find you something better next time, but how about we go out to eat tomorrow to celebrate?"

"Sounds perfect."

With that settled, you put the flowers in a vase and Hoshi settled in for the night.

The next morning, you woke up without him lying next to you and you wondered if you'd had a dream about everything.

But when you walked out to the kitchen, you were quick to discover that Hoshi had gotten up early and was trying to surprise you with breakfast. It was obvious he was trying but you quickly took over for him.

"One surprise is more than enough," you told him when he pouted. "And it's our anniversary, so let me do something nice for you."

He did keep pouting about it for a while but he got over it when he realized your version of the food tasted better than his was going to. When you got through eating he decided you should go on a walk so that he could tell you all about the tour so far. And you were happy to go along with that idea.

"You won't be too sad when I head back, will you?" he asked.

You shook your head as you grasped his hand. "Those larkspur flowers will keep me company. I'm sure they'll last until you come back."

"Let me know if they don't. I'll send you some more in a heartbeat if they'll make you smile."


	6. Inked Petals - Wonwoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The columbine flower has approximately 60 different species, and there are several different meanings across cultures and religions. These can include foolishness, innocence, protection against evil, a resolution to win, faith, love, and hope. The yellow ones symbolize happiness and vitality
> 
> College AU

You and Wonwoo were classmates. Or, that is to say, you shared one gen ed class that you needed for your respective degrees.

The class was easy enough so it didn't require much effort on your part. Truth be told, you spent a lot of time in there doodling or working on assignments for other classes. Wonwoo was your seatmate, sitting next to you since day one.

Since the class was early in the morning, he seemed to stumble in there barely awake most of the time. Like you, he spent the time working on other things or messaging his group chat on his laptop while he pretended to take notes.

You talked a bit, sometimes the general "how are your other classes going?" or "You finish that paper yet," and so on, but usually, conversations were boiled down to "hey, can I borrow something?"

And today was no different.

"Psst," you said. "Can I borrow a pen?"

The only one you could find in your bag was dried up. You'd spent several seconds already shaking and scribbling to see if it would work, but no luck.

Wonwoo nodded, wordlessly slid one over to you. When you reached out to grab it, you caught a glimpse of yellow. But you blinked and it was gone.

Figuring that you might have somehow imagined it, you went back to working on your assignment for another class while the professor continued to go over the same topic from last week. Apparently one of your classmates didn't understand it.

As soon as you were dismissed, you started packing up your things. You handed Wonwoo back his pen, and you saw the flash of yellow again.

"Finish what you were working on?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks. My friend and I are studying over lunch, and you can't study if you haven't worked on the guide yet."

"Are you still going to be studying this weekend?"

"No, shouldn't be. Why?"

"My frat is having a party. You should stop by if you're free."

"Really? I never pegged you for a frat guy," you replied as you slung your bag on your shoulder.

He shrugged. "I'm not a leader or anything, just in it. But we were told to invite some new people and I thought it'd be cool. Seeing you outside of class."

"Sure. Just tell me where it is."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you can find it. We're hard to miss."

Wonwoo had not been lying.

The Sigma Beta Tau house was in full swing by the time you got there, and you could practically feel the bass just standing on the front steps. And if the music wasn't enough to lead you there, the number of people running around screaming at each other definitely could.

Definitely a frat.

The minute you stepped into the house, you were greeted by a very handsome guy with dark hair and narrow eyes.

"Hey, I'm Josh. Welcome to our house! Drinks are in the kitchen, and you're free to wander around and check the place out."

"Nice to meet you. I'm (Y/N)."

"Oh, right! Wonwoo invited you?"

"Yeah, how did you--"

"Hold on one second." He turned around. "Yo, DJ Woozi! Could you turn the bass down a bit? I can't hear myself think!"

The short, grumpy-looking guy working the music equipment rolled his eyes but complied anyway. Within a few seconds the bass was at a more tolerable level.

"Sorry about that. Guy loves his music."

"It's fine," you assured him. "Are all your parties like this?"

He chuckled. "Pretty much."

"Hey Joshie," another guy smirked as he walked up. He was a bit smaller than his friend with reddish-brown hair and mischievous eyes. "Who you talking to?"

"I'm (Y/N)."

"I'm Jeonghan, the social chair. And I see you've taken a liking to our vice president, but I need to steal him away for a few minutes."

Joshua sighed. "What did you do now?"

"Why do you always assume it was me? Mingyu might have done it."

"Mingyu hasn't left the kitchen in four hours. Just show me now before Coups sees it." He glanced back at you. "Nice to meet you, by the way. You can probably find Wonwoo in the game room at the end of the hall."

So with that idea in mind, you made your way through the house to find this game room. You had to admit, they definitely went all out for their parties. The house was almost packed with people from campus, and everyone was having a great time.

They had their DJ set up, balloons, multiple snack tables, lots of chairs and couches, and a huge fenced in yard for games. Even as you had the thought, three guys raced past you on their way outside with a large tub of water balloons.

You couldn't even count how many rooms there were in the house. There were two floors and it seemed like a lot of members lived on the premises. You were glad you weren't going upstairs or you might get lost.

When you got closer to the game room, you realized the door was wide open already, and there were about ten people inside it, screaming and egging each other on.

As you came through the door, you realized two of the people were sitting at a table, arms outstretched while they arm wrestled each other. One of them was a younger boy with a beanie covering his messy brown hair and an oversized shirt. The other was Wonwoo, wearing a muscle tee and a bucket hat.

They had their hands clasped together, straining to get the win over the other. The onlookers were invested in the match like it was life or death. You found yourself getting invested as well just from their energy.

Wonwoo was gaining ground quickly, the other boy's face pinched in concentration as he tried to come back. But after a few more seconds, Wonwoo forced his hand down to the edge of the table. The screams and cheers were deafening as they announced him the winner.

The two congratulated each other on a good round before two more stepped up to wrestle. Wonwoo stood up and turned toward the door before he saw you.

"Hey, you made it!"

"Yeah. Good game."

"Thanks."

You ended up talking for a few minutes back there. While you were looking around, Wonwoo offered to play against you. You politely declined, having a feeling that he knew his way around every game back here. Between the pool table, table tennis, arm wrestling, and what you assumed was a Dance Dance Revolution game, all of which looked well-played, you had a feeling you knew who would win.

"It's hot back here," Wonwoo sighed eventually. "I'm going to grab a drink."

So you ended up following him back towards the front of the house and into the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?"

"Just water, I'm driving tonight."

"You know we're a dry fraternity, right?"

"You are?"

"Yeah." He passed you a water bottle over the fridge door. "Something wrong with that?"

"No, but I met some of your brothers. And you're telling me that they're normally that high-energy?"

He chuckled. "Most of them, yeah." As he shut the fridge, you finally saw the same glimpse of yellow on his arm again. Only this time it wasn't just a glimpse.

"You have a tattoo?"

He followed your gaze down to his mid-shoulder where a yellow flower was clearly visible.

"Oh, I guess you haven't seen it before. My sleeves usually cover it up."

"What is it?"

He smirked. "A flower."

"I meant the kind," you replied and he laughed.

"It's a columbine flower. It protects me against evil."

You raised an eyebrow.

"No one ever finds that funny," he sighed. "They mean a lot of different things, but the yellow ones are for happiness and vitality. I got it when I joined the house. It's supposed to remind me that even though I'm not as high-energy as some others here, I can be if I want."

"Guys!" someone called as they raced into the kitchen. "Mingyu's going to do the blind-fold taste test!"

Without a moment's hesitation, you were joining the large crowd of people gathered in the living room to watch this play out.

Wonwoo was next to you the whole time, cheering and egging his brother on while he tried to work out whether that was a real beef burger or a veggie burger. Or was it turkey?

And you had to admit, outside of the classroom and surrounded by his brothers, Wonwoo seemed different. Here he talked more, had a confident spring in his step. He joked and played around with them. When he was with them, he seemed happier.

That bright yellow really did suit him.

You hoped he'd learn to be like that outside of his group too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the time of writing this, I had recently watched Seventeen's Hit the Road series, and in Wonwoo's episode, he mentioned that because he's naturally more introverted, he used to feel like he didn't fit in well and he didn't stand out much. But after getting to know the other members of Seventeen, he always felt like he belonged with them and that they kind of helped push him to be more outgoing and stand out even when he wasn't trying to. And something about that resonated with me, so that's where I got the inspiration for his story here. Hope you enjoyed, and please go check out Hit the Road if you haven't already, you'll learn a lot about how hard Seventeen and (other idols in the industry by extension) work for their fans


	7. Missing Roots - Woozi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hydrangea flowers can symbolize numerous and often conflicting things, such as gratitude, an apology, heartfelt emotions, acting without thinking about someone else's feelings, prosperity, or bragging about accomplishments. Blue hydrangeas are typically related to the meanings of rejecting advances, being cold-hearted, or asking for forgiveness

You had never met the young man who lived in the apartment across from yours. You didn't know his name. But you knew of his talent on the piano.

It was impossible not to with how much he seemed to play. When he first moved in, he didn't play much. But over time, he started playing more and even started opening the door to his balcony so that the sound drifted lazily onto the street below.

He played everything from commercial jingles to classical pieces. He played popular hits and some that seemed to be his own creations. You could tell when he switched to the latter because he'd shut the door again and play softer to make it harder to hear.

You'd tried to catch a glimpse of him across his balcony, but the way his piano was situated made that nearly impossible. His apartment was above yours, and the piano itself took up the majority of the free space that you could see. Sometimes you could catch the shade of his hair or the back of a shirt, but never a face.

So you were content to listen.

Until one day you were leaving the building and you nearly bumped into someone crossing the street. You stepped out of the way, nearly freezing at the familiar face in front of you. He was wearing a hood and wasn't making eye contact but you definitely remembered him.

"Jihoon? Is that you?"

He glanced up. "Do I know you?"

"We went to school together before you transferred out." You shrugged. "It was a long time ago, I wouldn't expect you to remember. It's good to see you anyway."

And with that, you were walking away again.

Jihoon stood there for a few seconds in silence, trying to place you. Something about you seemed familiar but he didn't remember ever seeing you before.

He shoved his train of thought to the back of his mind so it wouldn't keep bothering him. He couldn't be distracted right now, he had a song to finish.

Jihoon let his fingers travel across the keys, the tempo of the song he was playing getting faster and faster as he played. His eyes were shut, listening intently to the tune. But suddenly, his right hand froze, one finger pressed down on the wrong note for this part. He let the note thrum throughout the apartment for a moment before removing his hand.

It was close, but not quite.

"G instead of A," he mumbled to himself as he grabbed his composition book to make the correction.

"It's coming along," a new voice blurted out, nearly startling Jihoon out of his skin.

"I told you not to sneak up on me."

"Well, you shouldn't get so invested you can't hear your friends come in."

Jihoon scoffed at that. "Yeah, right Soonyoung. Like you're not the same way with your dancing."

Soonyong chuckled. "Takes one to know one, right? It's sounding better."

"Still needs work. I think I can crack it in another week."

"If you say so, Ji," he said as he went to get a drink. "Just don't push yourself. Creativity doesn't come overnight."

He nodded in response. But he didn't agree with that.

Creativity came to those who chased it. Artists had to work hard to maintain it. He couldn't wait for it to hit him, he had to work at it himself. That was the thought that had kept him going this far.

He frowned as he felt something at the back of his mind. Deja vu, maybe?

Whatever. No time to be distracted.

Soonyoung watched with amusement as Jihoon kept working on his song like he wasn't even there. If there was one thing Jihoon was known for, it was working right through something until it was finished.

Jihoon was suddenly struck with the realization of who you were early the next morning. His mind, although he'd pushed the thoughts away, had been steadily working out the puzzle for him.

He had pulled a mug from his cabinet to drink his coffee. At the sight of the bright flowers painted across the blue surface, he remembered.

"I heard you like blue."

He nearly dropped the mug in surprise.

You had been in classes together years ago, just like you'd said. You'd looked different than when he'd seen you in the hallway of the building - younger, smaller, with a body that you hadn't quite grown into yet. Though, he thought wryly, he'd obviously been the same way at that age.

The two of you had shared an art class together. One day you'd offered to share some of your blue paint and an unlikely friendship was formed. Jihoon didn't get close to many people because his father moved around a lot for work. But he made an exception in your case.

He'd ended up regretting it later when you'd confessed your feelings for him. He had no idea how to respond to them at the time. His father had just told him that they'd be moving again, so he couldn't stay around for you. Plus, he was supposed to be working on his musical studies so that he could become a composer. He couldn't afford distractions.

So he refused your feelings. A bit coldly given the circumstances, but he didn't have the time for romantic relationships. He certainly didn't have the patience for a long-distance one. He had transferred by the end of the next week.

Within the year, he'd found new friends in Soonyoung and Seungcheol, who encouraged his dreams and helped him get farther on the path he was following. You became nothing more than a distant memory to him.

He hadn't even said a proper good-bye to you. Hadn't made the slightest effort to keep in touch with you. And yet you greeted him in the hallway like there were no hard feelings. You looked him in the eye and told him it was no big deal he didn't remember you. 

Jihoon mulled quietly over these thoughts for several minutes.

You had been brave enough to bear your heart to him and he'd refused you without thinking about your feelings. But you still offered him a friendly smile with no hesitation, just like when you were younger.

What could he do to make it up to you?

Over the next several days, the piano melodies that you could hear from your apartment were melancholy at best. It seemed like the phantom player was constantly having a bad day. Or, a bad day in terms of his mood. His playing was as beautiful as ever.

Suddenly there was a muffled thud like he'd slammed his hands on the keys. Followed by deafening silence.

Ten minutes after that, there was a rapid knocking at your door.

You got up to open the door only to find Jihoon standing there, breathing heavily.

"Ji--?"

"I saw your name on the mailbox downstairs. I do remember you, (Y/N). I didn't recognize you when you spoke to me the other day, and I'm sorry it took me so long. But more importantly, I'm sorry for how I treated you back in school. Really sorry."

"It was years ago. I'm over it, you don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do! Ever since I realized who you were and what I did, I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like such an asshole." He sighed heavily. "I know I don't deserve it, but do you think we could try again?"

"I don't know, Jihoon."

He nodded slowly. "I understand." You watched him start back down the hall and you sighed.

"You still like movies?" He nodded again. "Come over this weekend and we can watch something."

So a few days later, that's exactly what he did.

"What movie are we watching?"

"Oh, I think you'll recognize it."

Within a few minutes, a vast ocean stretched out across the screen. A couple of teenagers having a party. One of which decided swimming out into the deep water was a great idea.

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Are we seriously watching Jaws?"

"Did you have a better idea?" you countered. "Someone told me once that you liked the color blue, so this is what we're watching. Besides, this is a classic."

He shook his head and settled in to watch.

He did vaguely remember telling someone that years ago. Not because it was true, but because he'd been caught watching you paint in art class. His classmates were quick to assume it was because he liked you. And he was just as quick to assure them they were mistaken, he just liked the blue paint you were using.

Blue had always been one of his favorite colors, so it was an easy lie to tell. The fact that you remembered after all these years made him that much more determined to make up for lost time with you.

After all, he had a one-track mind. And now that you'd agreed to give him another chance, that track would be stuck on you.

"Hey, is that my apartment over there?"

Except for one slight detour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woozi's chapter was supposed to be the easiest one, but it turned out to be the hardest one in this series. This was inspired by that shot in Very Nice where he's got his piano set up in the big, open balcony-like space and it's overlooking the city. A++ aesthetic


	8. Spring Breeze - DK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The crocus flower is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. It symbolizes cheerfulness, youth, and overall happiness. Its scent is believed to inspire thoughts of love, and is used often in perfumes and cosmetics. The most common colors for this flower are white, purple, or yellow. The different colors don't have particular meanings, but the color yellow typically symbolizes happiness and joy.

It was supposed to be another normal practice day for DK. And for most of the day, it had been. They were running through choreography, trying to memorize it for their next video that was going to be posted in the next couple of months.

They had been at it for a few hours already, switching between different songs. They had eaten lunch and made sure to break after every couple of run throughs. Most of the members were starting to feel it at this point, so Hoshi called for an earlier break than usual.

Most went to refill their water bottles and rehydrate. Some of them sat down against the wall and wiped at the sweat on their faces, breathing deeply to catch their breath. DK was by the food, swiping some leftovers to keep his energy up. Woozi was quick to shoo him away, although the younger boy pretended not to notice when he started picking up leftovers too.

He was feeling good. This definitely wasn't the hardest practice session they'd had recently. It was good to stay active and run through it multiple times. He finally settled himself against the wall and grabbed his water bottle.

After a moment, he checked his phone and saw he'd missed a text message. He took another swig of his water and opened it, wondering what you could have sent him.

He nearly choked on the water.

He read the first few words before one made his stomach drop. Hospital.

You were in the hospital. And he was stuck here practicing? You hated hospitals, why would you even be at one? What had happened?

He took a second to calm down before checking the message again. Once he got past the word hospital, he saw that you had assured him that you were fine. You had gone in for a check up when you suddenly came down with a fever earlier this morning but the doctors were just monitoring you.

You were fine. You had to be. They were just checking on you, he didn't have anything to worry about.

"DK, break's over."

He glanced up to see Seungcheol standing over him. The rest of the members were already lined up to go over the routine again.

At the sight of his panicked face, Seungcheol softened. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I..." he started. "I'm fine. Sorry."

He quickly shoved his phone back into his bag and tried to put it to the back of his mind.

"All right. Then let's get back to work."

And with that, he was helping DK to his feet so he could get in place. DK did his best to focus throughout the rest of their practice time, but he felt it. His mind wandering, hoping that you were really okay. You could be saying that for his benefit.

He shouldn't worry, really. The doctors were monitoring you. Monitoring you because of a fever which was one of the first signs of numerous different illnesses. What if they found out you had something serious? What if they already had and he wasn't there for you?

The song finally ended and DK breathed a sigh of relief. He opened his mouth to speak but Seungcheol beat him to it.

"If you need to go, you should go, Dokyeom."

He whirled around in surprise, expecting his leader to be upset. But Seungcheol simply gave him a nod and a knowing smile. "Go on."

DK glanced at Hoshi, uncertain if he was allowed to leave. The other member made a shooing motion at him, although his own grin made it hard to take seriously.

"We'll muddle through without you, just come back focused and ready to work tomorrow."

He grinned, thank-you's pouring from his mouth as he started to gather his things. The other playfully shooed him out of the room, knowing that he'd be better when he came back.

Now, he just had to change clothes and go find you at the hospital. As long as he knew you were okay, he'd be fine for real. DK quickly changed into fresh clothes, stuffing his sweaty workout attire in his bag. He threw on a mask and sunglasses to hide his face, and refilled his water bottle for the ride over to the hospital. He quickly hailed a taxi and gave him directions to where he was trying to go.

You had told him which hospital you were at, and he was adamant about getting to you. But he had to make one small detour first. And as the driver pulled up to the shop, he saw what he was looking for. He quickly hopped out, fishing his wallet out of his bag.

You sighed heavily, trying to calm your nerves.

The doctor had been gone for a while now, checking up on other patients as he made his rounds. You didn't blame him at all, you just wished that you had some news about what was going on with you. You felt fine aside from your fever. That hadn't stopped them from running tests on you. And now, here you were. Anxiously awaiting the results of those same tests.

You had been out hiking earlier today when you suddenly started to feel faint. You'd eaten beforehand and you hadn't thought it was too hot outside, but one touch to your forehead had proved that you had a rising fever.

Somehow you managed to get back to the city and checked yourself into the hospital to make sure you weren't seriously ill or contagious. They hadn't seemed very worried, so you shouldn't really be worried yourself, but you hated being here alone like this.

The waiting was nerve-wracking when it was just you in the room.

You thought that you heard movement from the hallway and sat up a little straighter, craning your head to try and catch a glimpse of the person heading your way.

DK suddenly burst into the doorway. He was panting hard and he held a big bouquet of yellow flowers in his hand. He had already pulled off his mask and sunglasses before coming in so you recognized him immediately.

"Dokyeom? I thought you had practice."

"I couldn't leave you here alone," he replied, voice still thick as he tried to catch his breath. "Oh, I brought you these."

He handed the flowers over to you and set his bag down in the corner. They were a bright yellow, the petals obviously opening out around their pistils. It reminded you of the flower poses that you'd seen the members do when they wanted to act cute.

"These were the brightest ones I could find. I thought they might cheer you up." He dragged a chair closer to your bedside to sit closer to you. "Have you heard anything yet?"

"No," you replied. "But it shouldn't be much longer now."

"Thank you for coming," you added after a few minutes.

"You're welcome."

"Sorry for the wait. We have your test results," a nurse explained as she came into the room. "Nothing shows out of the ordinary. It seems you were just suffering from heat exhaustion."

"Thank goodness," DK breathed out. You laughed.

"I did go hiking earlier this morning, so that makes sense."

"You've been getting plenty of fluid since coming in, so you should be fine. Just try to avoid high temperatures and strenuous exercise for a few days."

"Got it. Thank you."

"Of course. I'll go ahead and put in the paperwork to get you released."

And within the next thirty minutes, DK was walking you out of the hospital. You still held tightly to the flowers he'd brought you, touched at the gift while also thinking that the bright flowers reminded you of DK himself.

You'd heard somewhere that these were spring flowers, and spring was one of DK's favorite seasons. The first sign of life after a long winter. A constant hope that you could always count on being around.

"You sure you're okay, right?" DK asked as you left the hospital.

DK probably didn't realize the significance since he'd been in such a rush to find you, but it still made you happy. He was a reminder of spring himself, a bright beacon to make you smile even when you weren't feeling up to it.

"Yeah. I'm okay," you replied. "Thank you for coming to see me."

He smiled. "Of course. I'll always be here for you when you need me. Unless, you know, I'm halfway around the world, and then that makes it tricky, but I'll still find a way."

Yep, constant hope definitely described him. And you couldn't be happier to have him in your life.

"I know."

You grasped his hand with your own, squeezing it as you walked together. He smiled, and even though it was obscured by his so-called disguise, you returned it with the same enthusiasm.


	9. Secret Garden - Mingyu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gardenias are popular flowers for wedding bouquets because they represent purity, love, and refinement. They may also be used to call someone lovely or beautiful, and can represent ideas of trust, hope, or innocence. White gardenias are most popular because their color represents purity, but if they have a yellow tinge, that can represent a secret or untold love. Their fragrances are also popular to use in teas and cosmetic products

It was an odd feeling - being confined to your house while Mingyu worked outside.

He'd been telling you for months and months that he wanted to plant a vegetable garden. Since the dorms didn't have their own yard to do it, you'd told him that he could plant whatever he wanted at your place instead.

And when he got a little time off, he finally took you up on the offer.

With one condition -- you couldn't come outside to check on anything. He had made it very clear that he didn't want you messing with anything or ruining whatever surprise he was cooking up with this garden.

You were a little offended but you figured that between the two of you he did have more of a green thumb. And he took his cooking seriously, so a vegetable garden was probably just as important to him. A good chef uses only the finest ingredients, after all.

He'd done well from what you could make out. He'd sectioned off a little area of your yard and planted several things, making sure to space them out evenly and water them periodically. He'd even constructed a small tarped structure to keep out the heavy rain and harsh sunlight.

He kept telling you how excited he was to see everything when it grew but he wouldn't tell you what he'd planted. You never even saw the seeds he brought over.

Mingyu had done everything in his power to keep this project a secret from you. Aside using your own backyard for it. But still, he made you swear not to go out there while he was tending to the plants or when he was unavailable. You'd never seen him so serious about anything in your life so you agreed.

So now you sat on your couch, watching Mingyu tend to his garden without disturbing him per your promise.

He was going to be traveling for a week so it seemed he was trying to take the best care of his plants before he had to leave. It was sweet, in a way. And you'd be lying if you said that you weren't excited to see the fruits of his labors. You could only imagine what he'd planted, as he'd also made sure not to mark anything.

The excuse for that was that he knew where everything was. You knew that it was just because he didn't want you accidentally reading the name of something and spoiling this surprise. The fact that he was being careful not to let you know made you all the more curious as to what was growing beneath the soil.

But you refrained from asking anymore (since the last half dozen times only made him give you a toothy smirk in response). It was obvious you weren't getting anything from him. And he was lucky that his members were going on the trip with him, or you'd be tempted to turn to Seungkwan or someone else to see if they'd let it slip.

You were out of luck there, but you'd already seen some stems start sprouting. So if things went well, you wouldn't have to wait very long to find out anyway.

Mingyu cursed quietly as he rubbed his hands together to rid them of dirt. If he'd known that the seeds were going to take this long to sprout, he would have held out on planting them for a few more weeks.

The way things were going, his understanding was that they were due to start blooming within the next week while he was away. He glanced up at the sky with a sigh.

Maybe if it didn't rain he'd be okay. Or maybe you wouldn't feel tempted to walk outside and investigate.

....

Who was he kidding, you were definitely going to do that. And he'd do the same in your place, so he couldn't fault you for it.

He just hated that he wouldn't be here to see your face when you realized what was really growing here. But his schedule couldn't be helped, so he'd just have to wait and see.

The first day after Mingyu left, it rained almost all day. It was a good thing he'd left his tent up over the garden or the plants might have drowned. You were concerned that they were getting too much water but there was nothing that you could do about it.

The second day the rain finally disappeared to reveal clear skies. You opened the windows around your house to let in the fresh air. A couple of times during the day you glanced out the window for your eyes to pinpoint small white buds out there.

Over the next couple of days, the buds remained. They didn't seem to get bigger or change their colors. You wondered if they were supposed to look that. You weren't aware of many fruits or vegetables that started out white. Was it cauliflower? No...that didn't seem right. You were sure that if it was cauliflower it would look differently. It should have more leaves or something.

So you sent Mingyu a quick text and asked what color they were supposed to be.

He eventually texted you back saying that some of them should be white but he wasn't sure they would be sprouting yet. He wouldn't give you any more information than that.

The next day, you actually went outside and stared at the plants closely. You knew very little about vegetables and their growth process, but you were certain that there were multiple things growing out here. Some of them did look like vegetables, with long stems poking through the soil.

But some of them were not vegetables. These plants looked more like flowers. And that concerned you.

Surely he wouldn't have planted flowers instead of vegetables. After all the work and time that Mingyu had put in to growing these, had the little garden been overtaken by weeds?

You'd have to be careful to watch them.

So that's what you did for the next couple of days, monitoring how quickly they were growing.

The night before Mingyu came back, there was another downpour and you called him in a frenzy saying that something was wrong with his garden.

He felt his stomach drop.

"What's wrong?"

"There are weeds everywhere. They're going to take over the vegetables, I can't figure out what happened. And now it's raining, so they're only going to get worse."

"I don't think weeds grow that fast."

"Well there's something out there that's not a vegetable. What else would it be?"

There was a short pause.

"I'm sure it's fine."

"Mingyu? What did you plant outside?"

"Nothing. It's fine," he repeated. "They're probably not weeds. Just wait until I get back and let me look at them."

You eventually relented, promising to wait until he got back to make any changes to his garden.

The next morning you waited impatiently for Mingyu to come back so that he could realize that you were right and that something was wrong. If he wanted anything to grow, he had to pull these weeds out and soon.

When Mingyu made it to your house, he carefully made his way out to the garden and looked over everything. You followed him, eager to see what he'd say.

Instead, you were stunned to see that the small blooms really weren't weeds. They were white flowers.

"I told you it was fine," he said, squatting down to get a better look at the fresh flowers.

You stared at him in confusion. "But you said you were planting vegetables out here."

"I was. But when I was planting them, I found that someone else had planted gardenia seeds. They take a while to grow so I left them it. I thought it would be nice if it wasn't just vegetables in the garden."

"They were already here?"

"They take a couple of years to fully bloom, so someone else must have planted them here." He scratched the back of his head. "I wasn't sure when they'd bloom so I didn't want to spoil the surprise. And I didn't think you'd mistake them for weeds or I would have told you before."

"Oh," you said. "Well sorry for freaking out on you."

"That's okay," he assured you with a soft chuckle. 

"Is there anything special about them? I mean, you chose to leave them in the soil."

"Well, they're pretty and smell nice. And sometimes you give them to someone when you want to tell them you think they're pretty too. So now you can have a constant reminder, even though I didn't plant them."

"You might not have planted them, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

He grinned. "Says the one who thought they were weeds."

"Hey, I was trying to save your vegetable garden!"

"I know, I'm only teasing." He poked your nose. "At least I can trust you to watch over it when I'm away."

"I'll try not to scare you next time. As long as you tell me what's actually planted there."

"Deal."


	10. Stem Designs - The8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladiolus flowers bloom on a long spire that can grow anywhere from two to four feet tall. They have several possible colors and color combinations associated with them and are also nicknamed the "sword flower" due to their resemblance to the object. They are meant to symbolize faithfulness, sincerity, strength of character, and a desire to never give up

The members of Seventeen had been given a new mission. To find outfits relating to flowers that they could use in a new photoshoot.

It was true that the stylists had already dressed them in flower prints for the Fallin' Flower music video, but this was meant to be more of a personal style mission. They were supposed to have a month to find outfits that they would be wearing in the shoot. They'd already been looking for two weeks and most of the members had found what they would be using. Or, at least one article.

Minghao, for once, had nothing. He took fashion seriously and couldn't seem to find anything that spoke to him. He seemed to be the only one having this block. Their group chat was filled with the other members showing pictures of what they had and how they were going to use it.

Some were simple. Vernon had managed to dig a Hawaiian shirt out of his closet and called it a day. The others joked that he wasn't putting his heart into it and he retorted that he already owned it, so it was his personal style already.

A few were smart. It only took Woozi a day to track down his leather jacket from the Call Call Call music video. The managers allowed it, since it wasn't from the Fallin' Flower video and there was a flower on it. Even if it was a costume. Everyone else was forced to ignore their own past costumes for fear of being a copycat.

And others were just lucky finds. Joshua had decided to go look around thrift stores and had found some old belt buckles with flower designs on them, along with some guitar pick necklaces.

Minghao was still kicking himself for not thinking about accessories like that. But he was determined to find something different and unique, even if it meant that he was running down to the wire.

He'd been searching primarily online and a lot of the designs that he saw weren't standing out. A lot of them were the same ones over and over again (simple flower prints on t-shirts or button downs in various colors). He did think about getting a tie that had flower petals on it, but then he remembered Mingyu talking about the same thing a few days before.

The biggest issue that he was finding aside from the patterns was the repetitiveness of flowers themselves. Roses were a big one, but at least two other members already had roses on their respective items. Sunflowers, orchids, and daisies were all similarly popular. He wanted something unique. A flower design in a color that wasn't usually seen.

Minghao was set on finding a shirt or a jacket, as those were the focal point of most outfits. And if he could find those, he was sure he could be able to style around it. But even with that decision in mind, he wasn't getting any closer to finding something.

Jun suggested that they go out and get some fresh air. He thought that it might help his friend relax his mind and come back to the mission refreshed and ready to start looking again.

He didn't know that his suggestion would help him find what he was looking for. They wandered around, grabbing food before window-shopping. 

The8 suddenly froze as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. There was a painting in a store nearby. With a field of tall flowers lining the landscape. He'd never seen anything like it. 

Jun turned around only to find Minghao was now across the street, making a beeline for the store. By the time he caught up to his friend, he was already asking the sales clerk about the painting.

"They're called gladiolus flowers," he said. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes," Minghao agreed, admiring the painting again.

"Are you interested in the painting?"

And that was how Jun and Minghao brought back a painting to the dorm that afternoon. Jun thought it was hilarious. Minghao thought it was inspiring.

The painting lit a fire under him. Now he had a particular flower in mind, so he started looking for designs. He scoured online stores but quickly found that the mainstream ones didn't have any like what he wanted.

So he started looking at independently owned stores, small hobby stores. Anything that popped up in his searches.

Within a couple of days, he had found one store that specialized in embroidered and needlepoint crafts. This one had come up a few times and he wasn't sure why. When he investigated further, it didn't take long to realize.

You had posted a picture on your page wearing a shirt that you had embroidered. A pale blue shirt with lines stretching up from the bottom. But those weren't just lines...they were gladiolus flowers. The same ones that he was looking for.

But that particular shirt wasn't available to buy from your store. He quickly found your contact information and reached out to you.

You studied the message on your computer. Someone was trying to buy your shirt, inquiring when it was going to be back in stock.

After checking your website to make sure that you weren't crazy, you typed back a reply informing him that the shirt was actually yours, not a product you were selling. You didn't have the means to produce the shirt that way.

He replied back asking if he could commission one, and asking how much you would need to make it happen. 

Now you were interested. Who was this guy?

So you offered to call him and work out your arrangement.

Ming, as he called himself, explained the story to you. He and his friends were having a themed photo shoot, and their theme was flowers. They were all supposed to be bringing in flower themed items so that they could style outfits. And he wanted his piece to be your design.

You told him that you were flattered but the shirt was handmade, so it would take some time to create. 

He replied saying that he would gladly pay for all the materials you needed and pay extra if you could get him the shirt before their shoot. Something about the deal seemed too good to be true, but you agreed anyway. As long as he paid half up front.

And he made good on his promise. He gave you his shirt size and other measurements, asking that you make the design as similar to the one you'd already made as possible. He gave you a good 75% of the cost upfront, saying that it was an investment. And he said he'd cover the rush shipping of it if needed.

True to your word, you started working on the shirt almost immediately. You made sure that you had all the right materials first. As you worked, you were still confused as to who this mysterious buyer was and why he was so adamant on getting your shirt just to prove something to his friends.

You continued to provide him updates during the process, letting him know that you were on track with completion. But the day he needed it was coming up fast, and you weren't sure that you'd have it done in time to send to him.

It would be far more complicated to try and get permission to their shoot so you started working for longer stretches to get the shirt done in time. 

You sent the shirt and didn't hear anything from Ming aside from his assurance that he had received it and that it looked great.

He paid you in full so you assumed he must have liked it. But it was weird not to get any other feedback from a customer. Still, you tried to shrug it off.

And for the most part you did.

Until you received a letter in return. Inside was a picture of thirteen boys in different flower-themed outfits. It must be from his photoshoot.

And right in the middle was a boy wearing your shirt. 

There was a letter enclosed with the picture thanking you again for getting it to him in time. He told you that he'd received lots of compliments on it and he was planning to wear it as part of his regular wardrobe. And if he needed anything else embroidered, he would definitely reach out to you again.

You skimmed it before going back to the picture. Xu Minghao was wearing your shirt.

An idol was wearing your shirt.

Meanwhile, Minghao was hanging up his new shirt in his closet. He glanced at the painting hung up in his wall too.

A gladiolus must be his lucky flower.


	11. Flower Fields - Seungkwan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Begonias are fairly common flowers, but are often overlooked because they have some less than pleasant meanings associated with them. These meanings include warnings about future misfortune, dark and unpleasant thoughts, or being wary of new situations. However, there are many equally uplifting meanings surrounding the flower including harmonious communication, gratitude, giving thanks, and individuality. The yellow ones also stand for happiness, wealth, and overall contentment

When the company had announced that the boys were having a new photo shoot, they'd mentioned that it was going to be set outside. You figured that the idea was going to be something with them camping under the stars or maybe near the beach to celebrate the summer vibe of the latest album.

Instead, they were actually going to be visiting some mountains and nature trails so that they could get more natural photos. You raised your eyebrows. That wasn't a bad idea.

You were one of the production assistants, helping with set up and break down of shoots. You didn't actually operate the cameras or adjust the lightings, but you ensured that those people had everything they needed to work smoothly.

So, you volunteered to drive one of the vans with the equipment to the location. It was a few hours' drive out of the way but the sight you were met with was breath-taking.

It was a large meadow, full of bright flowers and some rocky outcrops. Every time the breeze picked up, the flowers seemed to dance around one another. Against the soft blue sky of the early morning, it looked like it should be on a tourist postcard somewhere.

You helped some of the other crew members set up tents and chairs around the area. The director for the shoot had already assessed the area and figured out the best places he wanted to shoot against. It was just a matter of getting it set up.

The members started filing out not long after you finished. They'd already been there since earlier in the morning, but were getting their hair and makeup sorted out. The ones who were already done were joking and laughing amongst themselves while they awaited their call from the crew.

They didn't have to wait long.

It was only about twenty minutes later when the last member finished up. At that time, the director assembled everyone to run through the overall plan and schedule. They were going to be shot in their sub groups, with larger group shots being taken later. The crew had already marked off a couple of areas of the terrain and set up the tents and equipment where they'd be shooting.

The performance team was going to be over by the rocks. They were told explicitly to be careful if they decided to jump and climb around on the rocks. They weren't particular large, only a few feet into the air, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

The hip hop team would be taking the grouping of trees on the other side of the meadow. They seemed particularly excited about that, and you figured it was because of the amount of shade over there. 

Finally, the vocal team would remain in the middle of the meadow where the flowers were thickest. The group photos would be shot in these areas as well after lunch and then they'd break for the day.

Each group split off to their respective section of the meadow with the assigned crew members. Once there, they started letting the groups get a feel for the area and poses that they could do. They all had two camera operators, a lighting assistant, and a stylist. They made sure to bring fold out chairs with them so they could sit down.

You busied yourself under one of the large tents that had been set up for some shade. You started by gathering and sorting through the additional cameras, tripods, spare batteries, and other odds and end that they'd have to switch out as the shoot went on. You also went ahead and found the collection of personal fans, making sure that they were somewhere easily accessible when the assistants started looking for them.

After a few minutes, you glanced up to see the progress of the shoots. You could already make out The8 sitting on one of the largest rocks, swinging his legs over the edge without a care in the world. The hip hop group had wasted no time playing some form of hide-and-seek between the trees while they waited for Mingyu's turn to finish.

The vocal team stayed relatively close by since the meadow had a lot of beautiful flowers to use as backdrops. And from what you could tell, they were already down to business. While you watched, Jeonghan leaned back, holding his arm up over his face to cast a slight shadow while he peered into the camera. You had no doubt that was going to be one of the final shots used for him, and they were only a few minutes in.

Joshua and DK were dancing around the area, obviously enjoying their time in the outdoors. Woozi was lying down in the grass. And Seungkwan was busying himself picking some flowers. 

You were distracted as your walkie suddenly roared to life, one of the camera directors asking for another camera to be brought out to him. You quickly found one and took it out to the rocks. Apparently they wanted to use the height of their area to get some downward facing shots of the members for some variety. 

As you started back to the main tent, you saw Seungkwan suddenly trip and fall. You rushed over.

"Seungkwan! Are you all right?"

He'd gotten so invested in his flower picking that he'd moved several yards away from the group. They hadn't noticed him fall, so you pulled him to a sitting position.

"Yeah. I tripped on a rock or something, I think. I'll be fine."

You scanned him for any sign of injury anyway, knowing that it would be serious if he twisted something way out here. He did nothing to stop you. But the only thing that you could find was some dirt on the hem of his pants.

Before you could think about cleaning it, your walkie-talkie roared to life once again.

"(Y/N)! We need Seungkwan over here."

You turned to the director and waved a hand in acknowledgement so he'd know you heard him.

"Sounds like it's your turn," you said as you hauled him to his feet. "You're fine to walk around, right?"

He nodded, wandering a few paces so that you could see he wasn't injured. 

"Good. I'll tell your stylist about the pants. That should be--"

Your walkie-talkie roared to life once again.

"Change of plans! We're adjusting the shoot. Tell Seungkwan to stay where he is and bring me a tripod."

"Stay?" Seungkwan repeated. "Why?"

The camera director was giving instructions. Even the other members were moving with him. You shrugged.

"Orders are orders. Let me get you some water for your pants."

You made your way back to the main tent and returned with the tripod and a water bottle for him. The stylist shot you a smile when you handed her the bottle. She quickly cupped some water in her hand and gently dabbed at some dirt on the leg of his pants.

"Just be thankful you fell over here," you joked. "She wouldn't be this happy if you had grass stains from the woods."

Seungkwan chuckled softly.

You helped them set up the tripod, now aiming it directly at the member. The camera operator nodded appreciatively. 

"Right there," he murmured, adjusting the zoom on the camera. As he pulled out a bit, you finally saw what made him call out to you.

Behind him, as some kind of natural backdrop, were rows and rows of yellow flowers. The golden colors popped against his darker hair and blue shirt. 

Seungkwan was drinking from the water bottle at this point, refusing to move as he was instructed. But when he saw all eyes on him, he nearly spat it back out.

"What is it?"

"Seungkwan, sit down again," the operator instructed. He slowly sank down, his legs neatly obscuring from view as he did so. He looked like he was being bathed in a golden field. The other members came to take a look and muttered their appreciation.

"You look like a flower!" DK exclaimed.

Seungkwan glanced behind him and then down at his clothes. You saw understanding start to dawn on him.

And although you might have phrased it a little differently, it was hard to deny. 

Not long after, the groups broke for lunch and took a rest. They took the time to check on some of the others' photos and commenting on their favorites. The vocal team's photos quickly became a favorite, which they attributed to Seungkwan. After finishing up with his, they had gone back and redone some of the other members so that they'd all look similar.

When the photos came out, that would become one of Seungkwan's favorites. He'd even persuaded you to take some selfies with him in the same spot before you left. Since you did kind of help them find it in the first place.


	12. Petal Problems - Vernon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pansy flower's origins come from the French verb "pensee", which means means "to think" and that is still one of its meanings today - thinking about someone else. Other meanings include remembrance, considerance, and loving thoughts.
> 
> Hanahaki AU
> 
> (Hanahaki is a fictional disease where the victim starts coughing up flower petals when they realize their love is unrequited. If left untreated, the flowers will fill their lungs and roots will grow in their respiratory system. It will get harder to breathe until they eventually die. The victim may choose to get surgery to reverse this but it will cause them to forget their feelings completely.)

Vernon had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. He expressed his opinions and feelings openly in almost every situation.

Almost.

But he still remembered. That time that he had caught you coming back to the dorm with Jeonghan. You were laughing and joking together. A little too close for comfort.

When you realized he was there, you quickly averted your gaze and said your good-byes. Jeonghan bid you a good night before shooting Vernon a smile and asking what he was up to.

"Getting a drink," he replied. "Was that (Y/N)?"

"Yeah. We just came back from a museum trip. I miss anything around here today?"

"Not much."

Vernon retreated to his room as fast as he could.

He didn't understand what he'd just seen. You were an old friend of Jeonghan's, sure, but there was something there that he hadn't seen before between the two of you. You looked much happier with him than you had the last several times you'd hung out with Vernon himself.

When could this have happened? He hadn't realized Jeonghan liked you. He hadn't realized you liked him either.

He remembered feeling a tickle in his throat when he shut the door. He coughed a few times, eventually dislodging something. He glanced down to see a small orange petal lying in his outstretched hand.

Maybe he hadn't realized a lot of things. But his body wasn't fooled. It remained as expressive as ever.

Vernon crumpled the small petal still in his palm. 

Hanahaki disease was not a new idea. There were whispers, obviously. Theories about which idols had had it before. Who had gotten the surgery to remove it. Or whether they just suddenly found their love requited and went on with their lives.

It was hard living like that. It was one of the reasons entertainment companies instigated the dating ban on their newer groups. Training your body and mind to be an idol was hard enough without flowers trying to take root in your lungs. If you closed yourself off to dating, you'd limit your chances of having that happen.

He thought a lot that night about what to do. If he really had the disease and the flower wasn't some freak accident, what should he do? He didn't want to blame you or Jeonghan for it. How were you supposed to know his feelings when he didn't himself?

Should he...get the surgery?

No.

He'd wait a little longer and see how bad it really was. Maybe if he could get over his feelings and that would help.

It turned out to only make things worse.

The boys went on an interview several weeks later. Vernon was still coughing up flower petals, but it wasn't too bad. He'd even seen you a couple of times when you came to the dorms with only a few escaping. He'd learned how to hide it pretty well. None of the other members even suspected it.

But then the interview shifted the topic from their new music and recent tour onto more personal matters. He asked about their families. Their pets. And then he asked about relationships.

The interviewer seemed particularly interested in Seungkwan who had been seen hanging around outside of work with one of his fellow MCs for a television show recently. Seungkwan was quick to deny it, but the blush on his face was enough to have the other members rib him a little.

"Vernon, you've been awfully quiet," the interviewer suddenly said. "Is there anyone special in your life?"

"My sister, Sofia," he answered without hesitation.

"But no one...romantically?"

An image of you suddenly flashed in his mind.

Uh oh.

He'd grown to recognize the feeling by now. But this one was more intense than the others. He swallowed, cupping one hand over his mouth and grabbing the member next to him. Joshua looked at him in alarm.

"Water," he managed to croak out. Joshua handed over his water bottle. Vernon drank greedily, trying to drown the petals rising up through his throat.

But that only caused him to choke more. Someone, possibly S. Coups, clapped him on the back to try and dislodge whatever was causing the problem. Vernon gritted his teeth but he couldn't stop the full orange pansy from coughing up out of his mouth.

Everyone stared at them in surprise and shock.

"Well, it seems you might have someone after all," the interviewer joked.

He was trying to diffuse the situation. But no one laughed. They all knew the seriousness of what this meant.

The managers were quick to have the interview finish up and get everyone to sign confidentiality agreements. They needed to make sure that part of the interview would not be aired. They couldn't deal with word about this getting out. It would be a scandal within hours.

Vernon sat there silently through the whole thing, watching others clean up his mess. Literally and figuratively. Woozi actually took the flower from him to throw in the trash. He hadn't realized he was still holding it.

The other members tried to cheer him up. To take his mind off it. Pretend they weren't all thinking the same thing. It was Jun who finally brought it up when they got back to the dorm.

"Are you going to get the surgery?"

"I don't know." And he didn't.

The answer wasn't that simple. Vernon had never had a plan for his own life. He had been lucky to get scouted and join Seventeen when he did. He knew the risks of having this disease - the breathing problems that it would cause. The gradual decline until he'd be gasping for air just from walking. He wouldn't be able to dance, rap, or perform with the others.

What would he be if he couldn't perform?

But was his career worth getting surgery like this? Was it worth removing all his feelings for you? You had been close before. You laughed along with his silly jokes. You asked him about his family. You brought him Twix when he was having a bad day. You had made him feel really heard, something that wasn't always present with twelve other members.

And yet...you'd pulled away recently. Before Jeonghan, even. You must have realized that you liked him instead.

Vernon dragged himself to his room, intending to think in peace when a hand stopped him.

His eyes met Jeonghan's and he thought he saw understanding in them.

"It's (Y/N), isn't it?" Jeonghan asked.

"No."

He raised an eyebrow as Vernon spat a few stray petals out of his mouth. "Really? That's too bad."

"What? Aren't you dating?"

"Of course not. We're just friends. I told you that before, didn't I?"

"But you went on a date to the museum--"

"That wasn't a date. (Y/N) came to me for advice," he explained, twirling one of the discarded petals between his fingers. "We went to the museum for a distraction."

Vernon frowned. "Advice about what?"

"Sorry, I've been sworn to secrecy. But you can always go to the source."

And less than an hour later, Vernon was at your doorstep.

"Vernon? Are you okay?"

You were surprised to see him. You hadn't been to the dorms in a few weeks and you hadn't heard anything from him in that time. Yet, here he was showing up out of the blue.

He looked like he'd run the full distance to your house. He was leaning on your doorframe for support. His face was pale and his chest was heaving.

"I came...to talk to you. But could I use your bathroom first?"

"Sure, I guess."

You stepped aside and let him in. He was quick to stumble to your bathroom and shut the door.

Vernon hated this stupid disease. Just seeing you and being around you seemed to be making everything ten times harder. He managed to cough up a whole flower head this time.

It fell into the sink with droplets of blood following soon after.

So...it had finally progressed that far. He didn't have much time left before the flowers would fill his lungs completely.

He just had to tell you. It couldn't be that hard, right? He wiped his mouth and took a deep breath.

"(Y/N), we need to talk--"

He was interrupted as he heard you stumbling around your kitchen. You were standing near the sink, gripping the sides so tightly your knuckles were turning white.

You picked your head up slowly as he approached.

"Guess you know why I haven't around lately." You cleared your throat, dislodging one more blue petal into your hand.

Vernon slowly stretched out his hand to you, showing you the flower he'd coughed up. "That makes two of us."

Aside from the colors, Vernon's being orange and your's being blue, the petals were a perfect match. Like they'd come from the same color.

You stared at each other in disbelief. Eventually, you spoke up.

"Jeonghan told me weeks ago that I had nothing to worry about, my body kept reacting anyway. I thought he was wrong."

"Maybe you needed to hear it from me." Hegrabbed you in a tight hug. "I love you, (Y/N). I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

"I love you too. Better late than never, right?"

He chuckled softly. "Agreed."


	13. Tea Leaves - Dino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chrysanthemum flowers is a common flower used in both landscaping and bouquet cuts. They symbolize things such as long-lasting friendship, cheerfulness, loyalty, devotion, and rest or recovery. In China, the flowers are often used for medicines or in teas to promote good health. These flowers usually appear in red, white, pink, yellow, or purple)

It had all started during the last tour. Dino realized that maybe his body wasn't as strong as he'd previously thought.

Sure, he was an idol and that required rigorous training. But even idols could get sick. Even idols could start to slow down if they weren't feeling up to the challenge.

He didn't like that feeling.

So when they came back, he started trying to figure out what more he could do. How he could treat his body better and keep himself feeling better. And he asked his members for suggestions and help with his mission.

He started off small. Getting more rest here and there. Exercising more frequently on his off days. Making sure that he stayed hydrated at all times.

Seungkwan offered him more vitamins. Mingyu volunteered to show him how to cook some of his favorite meals so he could cook for himself a little more. Although that was still once a month if Dino was lucky. 

These were small steps that he could use to keep himself feeling better. 

And yet, it wasn't too long before he started feeling sick again. A fever started and he could feel a headache coming on. 

Even though this wasn't as serious as when they were all on tour together, Dino found this incredibly frustrating. All he wanted to do was perform and work hard with his other members. And this sickness was going to keep him from doing that, again?

He asked one of the staff to buy him some medicine and juices to wash them down. That staff member was almost immediately asked to deal with the emergency of finding Hoshi who was playing hide and seek around the building and no one could find him.

So instead, he texted you asking if you could do it instead. You sent him a quick reply letting him know that you would and you'd stop by as soon as you could. So you hurried to the store to find what you needed. 

You could have picked up most of the stuff at the convenience store, but you figured that it would be better to go to an actual grocery store to look for what you needed.

The medicine and juices were easy to find. You also grabbed a couple of soups that he could eat with some rice or other side dish. You were about to go check out when you stopped near some tea. You'd run out of tea recently...should you get some more?

Dino wouldn't mind. He wasn't a tea drinker anyway, preferring water or sports drinks usually.

When you returned, Hoshi had been found sleeping in a storage closet and the staff members had ushered him and the others away for practice. Leaving Dino by himself at the dorms.

You let him know that you were there and he made his way to the door to invite you in. The moment you came in, he settled himself on the couch. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, obviously feeling miserable.

You put away most of the things that you'd bought, leaving out some medicine and juice for him to take. You boiled water for your tea, making a little small talk as you did so. 

He mostly responded with grunts. When he replied with more than a few sentences, he started having cough fits. He was obviously doing worse this time around.

After your tea was finished, you brought everything over and sat with him. He downed the medicine and quickly followed it up with the juice. When he was finished, he leaned his head against your shoulder.

You continued to drink your tea for several minutes in silence. You thought he was asleep to be honest.

"What's that?" he suddenly asked, nearly startling you out of your skin.

"Tea."

He swallowed thickly. "I think it's helping my head."

You looked over at him. Tea could help people clear their sinuses, but he wasn't even drinking it. Could it be doing the trick anyway?

"Do you want some?" you offered.

"Please."

And within a few minutes, Dino was blowing on his own cup of tea. He carefully took a sip.

"You don't like it?"

His face had twisted into a grimace the moment he swallowed the liquid. But he shook his head. "It's fine, I guess. It just tastes like...leaf water?" he offered after a moment.

You laughed at his description. "That's what tea is. Small leaves infused in water. Sometimes people even put flowers in them."

He made another face but continued drinking anyway. Some of the color was slowly coming back into his cheeks, although you weren't sure if it was because of the tea or just the temperature itself.

Soon after your visit, Dino was asking for more tea. He still didn't seem to care for the taste of the kind that you'd brought before, so you picked up a few different flavors to let him try.

If he was going to drink it, might as well try to make it enjoyable.

He really didn't like mint tea. He said that the flavor was too strong.

English breakfast seemed fine but it gave him weird dreams when he slept and caused him to wake up a lot. 

The third time you were boiling the tea bags, you glanced over at him.

"You know that just drinking tea won't fix you being sick, right?" you asked.

"I'm still taking my medicine and resting a lot," he assured you. "But if drinking tea can make me feel a little better in the long run, then I want to keep trying it."

You smiled. At least he wasn't putting all the weight on the tea. That would cause some problems down the road if he wasn't taking care of himself properly otherwise.

He was slowly becoming more interested in the teas themselves and how each one had different benefits. And that meant that you had to do a little more research and broaden your own horizons to be able to answer his questions.

Not that you minded.

"Okay. Try this," you said as you handed it over. He took a hesitant sip. 

He grinned. "That's good. It actually...feels like I can breathe a little better."

"Good. I'm glad." 

Dino glanced up from his cup. "What is it anyway? It tastes different than the other teas you made."

"It's actually a flower tea. It's made with dried bits of the flower added to the tea leaves. This one is from chrysanthemum flowers," you told him.

He mulled over that thought for a few seconds. "Flower tea, huh? I didn't know that was a thing."

"Jun and The8 can probably tell you a little more about it. It's popular in China from what I hear."

"What is?" Jun asked as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Flower tea. Want some?"

"Jun!" you exclaimed. "Don't drink from Dino's cup."

The youngest had already handed it over without a second thought. Jun was quick to hand it back, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Here." You poured some tea in another cup and he took a drink.

"Oh, chrysanthemum! Nice choice."

"You've heard of it?"

"Yeah. We drink this a lot in the summer. It helps you feel refreshed, doesn't it?" 

The three of you stood around in the kitchen for several minutes after that, listening to Jun talk about the multiple health benefits of the tea and how the flower itself was used in Chinese medicine.

"And you chose this just on a whim?" Jun asked.

You shrugged. "Dino didn't like the other flavors I'd usually recommend. I thought something a little more flowery might taste better for him." You pointed out another tin. "I was going to try jasmine if that one didn't work."

"Good job, (Y/N). If he keeps drinking this, Dino should be well again in no time."

The two of you watched as Jun poured the last of the tea kettle into his cup and started leaving. 

"Uh, Jun?"

He glanced back. "Oh, this one's for me. I've been homesick lately. Thanks for the tea!"

Dino laughed at his antics. You rolled your eyes and turned back to the kettle to start again.

"He's right, you know. I'm already feeling better."

"Good. Maybe you and Jun can have some of this regularly."

He nodded, nursing his still half-full cup. 

Within just a few more days, Dino was back to his old self again. His fever had broken, he could breathe again, and he was able to rejoin the practices. He and some of the others also made a decision to have tea more regularly when they were able - to relax and take a moment to think about their health.

And that was also the afternoon that you found a package outside your doorstep. A decorative wooden box that you could store your teas in.

You were impressed to see that the box had a small chrysanthemum carved into the front.

 _"Something to say thank you. Hope you like it!"_ was written on the note attached. You grinned.

That flower tea really did the trick. Or maybe it was just your insistence on helping him out.

Either way...you were glad that he was back to his usual blue skies. Bright and cheerful as ever.


End file.
